Last Updated 7/23/2023
We don’t have to worry about former 7th Ward Alder Jack Coatar running for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney in 2024. He will just peddle his former elected office experience and connections at Spencer Fane.
Coatar, last year’s defeated (not even close) Board President candidate, who then did not run for Alder re-election last Spring, has a mere $7,666.46 in his account at Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC).
The account is identified for ‘Citywide Office City of St. Louis.’ He has to declare that he’s running for something, even generically, to maintain the committee and spend down the money on subscriptions and food. He might be waiting for Alder Cara Spencer to screw up and run in New 8th Ward, but Circuit Attorney definitely out.
In his April and amended MEC reports, Coatar’s committee shows contributions returned: $2,500 from Vinson One LLC and $2,500 from Ice House Master. Vinson One is connected to corporate welfare aficionado, Lux Living developer, slumlord, Vic Alston. Ice House “Master” is not found in the Missouri Secretary of State’s Business Search. It’s a good guess this is an account associated with the Ice House development in Soulard, Coatar’s home neighborhood. The Ice House and adjacent Steelyards (75% tax abatement for 10 years, sales tax exemption on construction materials, which Coatar sponsored), were projects by Alston and Sid Chakraverty, his brother, sold shortly after completion and now operate under the name Steelyard Apartments.
More important, Jack PAC was dissolved in May. But not without intrigue. The PAC donated its last $4,743.27 to Equity Initiative Inc., a vague public benefit nonprofit formed in February of this year by Nancy Rice with Labor attorneys Sam Gladney and Ron Gladney.
Per Articles of Incorporation, in the event the organization dissolves, remaining funds are to go to a “an organization with a similar purpose, or to The Backstoppers Inc police officers and firefighters fund.” I could not find any other information on the nonprofit other than the Incorporation.
St. Louisans should recognize Rice’s name from her many years as political advisor to former Mayor (worst ever) Vince Schoemehl and for rich beyond our imaginations, privatization champion Rex Sinquefield, Missouri’s answer to the Koch Brothers, including her serving as executive director of the St. Louis City re-entry into St. Louis County plan (disaster)- Better Together (Better for Stenger).
Sam Gladney serves as a Commissioner on Bi-State Development Agency, the St. Louis area’s anti-bus, awful public transit agency. Gladney worked with lobbyist Jane Dueker, Michael Kelley of political consultant Kelley Group, and others on the short lived dark money Rebuild Saint Louis effort for airport privatization.
Current Circuit Attorney Gabriel Gore has not filed a committee with MEC. Appointed in May by Governor Mike Parson to the fill the vacancy after resignation of Circuit Attorney Kim Gardener, Gore has not ruled out running for the office. Gore previously practiced law at Dowd Bennett, where former U.S. Senator Jack Danforth and former Governor Jay Nixon hang their hats. Gore served on the Ferguson Commission (along with now 14th Ward Alder Rasheen Aldridge), appointed by Nixon, and worked with Danforth on his Waco Commission.
Former Circuit Attorney Kim Gardener is obviously not running. Her MEC account says she is, but that’s a formality to spend down $98,176.74. Some good things could be done with that money.
Accused rapist Steve Roberts Jr. and his family tried and failed to get him the appointment to fill the Circuit Attorney vacancy but they seem to be working on a run for Circuit Attorney. His MEC account is still designated for re-election to his State Senate seat.
Roberts Jr.’s July Report shows only one contribution, $1,000 in May from the STL Democratic Coalition, a political action committee (legal money laundry), or otherwise he would not have been able to pay bills. He has a scant $253.42 on hand and is $20,000 in debt. In March, his parents donated $1,900, to help keep his failing political career afloat.
State Senator Karla May, a supporter and close ally of accused rapist Roberts Jr., is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. This creates an opportunity for a 2024 slate to help Roberts Jr. I do not yet see a committee filed with Federal Election Commission for her. Other Democratic candidates running for the U.S. Senate seat are Lucas Kunce, a U.S. Senate primary loser in 2022, and St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Wesley Bell.
May’s State Senate MEC committee is delinquent filing her July Report. Her April Report, late, showed $0 contributions, $17,677.56 expenses (including $908.05 in late fees to MEC), $15,145.59 on hand. May is also a Democratic Committeewoman and Chair of the St. Louis Democratic City Central Committee. She has filed Limited Activity reports for her Committeewoman account since 2019.
Former Alder Michael Gras sought the appointment to fill Circuit Attorney vacancy but has not amended his MEC account to reflect candidacy in the 2024 election. He filed Limited Activity quarterly reports for July and April. His April 30 Days After Election Report shows has $2,813 on hand and has $5,167.05 in debt including loans from himself.
The only announced candidate for Circuit Attorney with a MEC account to run for the office is David Mueller, a defense attorney who lives in Tower Grove South, 6th Ward. His treasurer is Whitney Panneton, Senior Director at JLL Value and Risk Advisory. Jillian Meek Mueller, the candidate’s wife, is an employer-side litigation attorney at Jackson Lewis where her bio page is now locked. She represented St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell in an effort to prevent assistant prosecutors and investigators from joining the St. Louis Police Officers Association for collective bargaining purposes.
Candidate Mueller’s July Report shows $24,975.39 in contributions, including $6,895 in-kind from Dresden Capital, which is Luke Reynolds, owner of Molly’s in Soulard. Mueller has $11,784.25 on hand.
Reynolds serves as Chair of (consistent Transparency Fail) Soulard Special Business District, a property tax district that pays for private policing, and is Vice-Chair of Soulard Community Improvement District, a sales tax special district (and another consistent Transparency Fail).
The law firm Rogers, Sevastino, Bante raised $2,250 for Mueller. John P. Rogers of the firm is Luke Reynolds’s lawyer.
Attorney Terence Niehoff gave $500 to Mueller. He was treasurer for Jack PAC. His office is in Soulard. There’s another $1,000 in Soulard-related contributions, all former donors to Coatar. Political consultant Michael Kelley gave $250 to Mueller.
Coatar is not running for Circuit Attorney. Mueller is inheriting supporters from him.
The Great State of St. Louis 